What's Covered in Age 11-13
The Age 11-13 curriculum is a comprehensive, literature-based homeschool program that spans a full year of science, social studies, and language arts. It includes structured daily lesson plans, handpicked literature, and fully stocked materials kits. Usually used as a seventh-grade homeschool curriculum, this program offers an immersive, integrated learning experience that nurtures critical thinking, creativity, and well-rounded academic development. Your child will read a lot, write more clearly, and understand more at the end of this interesting year of homeschool.
This level is the first of two levels in our middle school homeschool program.
Our language arts program is founded on the belief that children learn best through stories. Each lesson immerses students in engaging narratives and characters, fully involving them in their learning journey. For example, in The Hobbit, students embark on an adventure through Middle-earth, enhancing reading and writing skills by creating their own characters and exploring themes of growth. In A Girl Named Disaster, learners step into Nhamo's world, reflecting on diverse perspectives through creative and analytical activities. Similarly, The Prince and the Bard invites students to explore The Little Prince and Shakespeare's plays, fostering appreciation for classic literature through text analysis and expressive arts. Through these compelling stories, our program not only builds literacy skills but also inspires a lifelong love of learning.
6 novels, 2 poetry collections, a book of Greek myths, and a nonfiction text about the history of science
Write With Purpose
Our language arts program nurtures students into versatile writers capable of expressing themselves across various formats. Through engaging stories and assignments, we develop skills in persuasive essays, short stories, reflective journaling, character narratives, and analytical reports. For instance, in A Girl Named Disaster, students write personal narratives paralleling the protagonist's journey. In the Greek Myths unit, they compose original myths, exploring creative writing and narrative structure. During the Independent Study unit, learners research controversial topics and write persuasive essays. By immersing students in multiple writing styles, our program builds a strong foundation for effective communication in any context.
Here are some examples of the writing projects your child will complete.
- Write a persuasive essay on a controversial issue.
- Compose an original myth inspired by Greek mythology.
- Craft a personal narrative paralleling a story's protagonist.
- Develop a comparative essay analyzing character relationships.
- Create an original short story or parable.
- Write a ballad reflecting medieval themes.
- Compile a personal poetry collection with original poems.
- Analyze a character's transformation in an essay.
- Prepare a research report on a historical or cultural topic.
- Write reflective journal entries connecting literature to personal experiences.
Introduce your 7th grader to earth science and physics with our year-long homeschool science program. Hands-on activities bring science to life, sparking curiosity and deepening understanding. Explore water properties in The Hydrosphere, demonstrate Newton's laws by designing mini-golf courses in Force and Motion, and observe life balance in jar ecosystems through Ecosystems and Ecology. In The Solar System, students build scale models to grasp our cosmic neighborhood.
8 books that investigate earth science, force and motion, ecology and ecosystems, energy, light, and space
Your child will dive into experiments and activities that make science tangible and unforgettable. Here are a few examples:
- Explore food webs and food chains
- See how human eyes work
- Understand how tectonic plates interact
- Experiment with different types of energy
- Create a detailed food web
- Blast off a balloon rocket
- Demonstrate the laws of motion with a mini-golf game
- Use a pinhole camera and periscope
- Model the solar system
Our unique materials kits, included in our curriculum packages, contain hundreds of items designed to make these hands-on activities both fun and easy. These kits are unlike anything you've ever purchased, ensuring that your child’s scientific exploration is as engaging as it is educational.
Semester 1 Science Kit
Semester 2 Science Kit
Ancient and Modern Cultures
Our seventh-grade social studies program offers a dynamic year-long exploration of global history and contemporary issues. Alternating between historical studies and modern social environments, students engage with ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia and Egypt through hands-on projects like timeline creation and archaeological digs. The curriculum then shifts to modern regions such as Africa, where learners create maps and debate current issues. With authentic documents, extensive readings, and immersive activities like crafting artifacts and preparing regional dishes, this program brings history to life, fostering critical thinking and a deep understanding of our interconnected world.
10 books about geography, culture, and a wide span of history
To make these topics come alive, your child will participate in a variety of hands-on projects and activities, such as:
- Simulate an archaeological dig
- Prepare traditional dishes from Mesopotamia, Africa, and medieval Europe
- Construct a detailed model of a medieval village
- Script and perform puppet shows
- Create a personalized timeline
- Simulate the clash between the Spanish Armada and English Navy
- Craft detailed, color-coded maps of African countries, capitals, and geography
- Design and curate a museum exhibit for Australia
- Create maps of the Silk Road
Language Arts Prerequisites
- Able to read and comprehend novels at a late 7th or 8th grade reading level
- Able to write multiple paragraphs on a topic
- Familiar with the five-paragraph essay
- Usually used by children in the seventh grade.
Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Beyond the Page integrates language arts with science and social studies from preschool through middle school.
Each day, your child will complete three lessons.
- One lesson in language arts,
- One in science, and
- One in social studies.
Your child will also need a math program. We anticipate releasing our Age 11-13 math program in the spring of 2025.
Language arts is presented in the form of literature units that center your child's language arts learning around interesting stories and characters. Rather than giving children a series of random, unrelated activities, all of the writing assignments, grammar lessons, and vocabulary are integrated into these unit studies. This creates a more cohesive experience, and we find that kids are more engaged when they’re writing about stories and characters that interest them.
Our curriculum is designed to integrate science and social studies topics with our literature-based language arts program. Each language arts unit is thematically aligned with either the science or social studies unit, reinforcing concepts and fostering deeper understanding. For instance, while studying Africa Today in social studies, students read A Girl Named Disaster in language arts—a novel set in Mozambique that brings to life the cultural and social issues of contemporary Africa. Similarly, when exploring The Lithosphere in science, students delve into The Hobbit, where the journey through diverse terrains and underground passages complements their scientific study of Earth's layers. This integrated approach not only enhances engagement but also helps students make meaningful connections across different subjects.
See a complete list of the units and how they line up.
Beyond Standards
Because all lessons are based on state and national standards, you can be confident your child will learn all of the necessary skills for his age. Your child will also be challenged to read and write at a higher level.
The Age 11-13 Full Year Package - S, SS, LA covers science, social studies, and language arts.
